I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

People believe Jerry West had a hand in trading Gasol just like people think Mchale gifted the Celtics with KG

Ramon Sessions opted out of his contract and wanted more money

after the way he so bad durning the playoffs i glad they did not bring him back.

Speculation.

In fact, the Minneapolis papers were saying that KG's first choice was LA, but Kobe was throwing one of his tantrums at the time, and KG wanted none of that. The deal had to work for Garnett, and in the end he made the right choice.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

NOPE - this is you trying to contradict something said by Duke. The discussion was about Kupchak and his many moves..........Duke said Danny has done some nice things like draft Rondo........YOU then contradicted that FACT with your own "fact."

All you did was show you are either not knowledgeable about how the draft process works, or just an instigator who can't stand it when someone has the nerve to compare Danny Ainge to Mitch Kupcake....................which is it?

You stated a "fact" everyone already knew, and we all, except you apparently, understood the concept.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

NOPE - this is you trying to contradict something said by Duke. The discussion was about Kupchak and his many moves..........Duke said Danny has done some nice things like draft Rondo........YOU then contradicted that FACT with your own "fact."

All you did was show you are either not knowledgeable about how the draft process works, or just an instigator who can't stand it when someone has the nerve to compare Danny Ainge to Mitch Kupcake....................which is it?

You stated a "fact" everyone already knew, and we all, except you apparently, understood the concept.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

NOPE - this is you trying to contradict something said by Duke. The discussion was about Kupchak and his many moves..........Duke said Danny has done some nice things like draft Rondo........YOU then contradicted that FACT with your own "fact."

All you did was show you are either not knowledgeable about how the draft process works, or just an instigator who can't stand it when someone has the nerve to compare Danny Ainge to Mitch Kupcake....................which is it?

You stated a "fact" everyone already knew, and we all, except you apparently, understood the concept.

If you look at Duke's post it says did Danny draft Rondo...?

All i did was post a link that said he was drafted by the Sun's

i am not trying to contradict Duke

you are trying to make this into something more than it is

Okay, fine.........he DID draft Rondo, though, he told PHO who to take in a pre-arranged deal. Perhaps Duke should have said...DIDN'T Danny draft Rondo........my bad!

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as an owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

I have to say that I can relate to the multiple points of view here....one thing we seem to agree on (in a roudabout way)....when it comes to David Stern, there does seem to have been more than a few instances that have had most everyone (fans, management, media) scratching their heads over the years....the draft....the playoffs...the refereeing...a few questionable decisions...I don't know...coincidence?...yeah, maybe.....conspiracy theory? .....probably not....I will say that I will celebrate his retirement...but, again, that's just me...

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You know you've taken great pride in the past in pointing out mistakes.............you only listed 3 teams, and said it was agreed upon by 4.............you cannot get the best player in the deal and save 40 mill in cap space................deal was justifiably vetoed. Not ludicrous, since that is, in fact, what happened. I remember the day the deal went down............you were wetting yourself over the fact they didn't include Bynum......which no one would have had a problem with, IMO.

OK, not to sound like a troll but as far as Mitch goes....what fantastic moves has he made?...I am not being sarcastic...I just would like a recap...

going back to the Gasol trade...it was great...but the Jerry West story on that one won't go away...

acquiring Sessions for a 1st round draft pick and then letting him walk...?

acquiring Nash (now 39 years old) for two 1st's and two 2nd's and signing him long term...?

acquiring Howard when Orlando had to trade him?...when Howard said that Los Angeles was not where he wanted to play?...and now risking him walking for nothing...?

These are legitimate questions.....I think Danny has done just as good a job....acquiring Ray and KG....drafting Powe, Baby, Sullinger....did Danny draft Rondo...? ...anyway, I am not an expert on GM's and their talent for moves (at least not since Red)...so I am open to your thoughts on this....again...no sarcasm....a legit question...

Yes. Danny bought a 1st round pick from Phoenix and drafted Rondo. It was a pretty gutsy move.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You know you've taken great pride in the past in pointing out mistakes.............you only listed 3 teams, and said it was agreed upon by 4.............you cannot get the best player in the deal and save 40 mill in cap space................deal was justifiably vetoed. Not ludicrous, since that is, in fact, what happened. I remember the day the deal went down............you were wetting yourself over the fact they didn't include Bynum......which no one would have had a problem with, IMO.

Still amazes me how:

a. you can't admit you're wrong (Nash was not signed)

b. everyone on here agrees with me, and you come after me.........

I guess I'll continue to refute these statements you are making...

"you only listed 3 teams, and said it was agreed upon by 4"? I said 4? When? Where?

You CAN get that deal done when all teams agree to it, actually. And the fact remains that the representative that the Hornets (and owners) hired to negotiate for them agreed to said deal. All three teams were pleased with what they got, and the Hornets would have been better off for it. That's when the conflict of interest/veto comes in.

Stop playing games, Hedley. I don't do the "keeping score" and "you can't admit you misstated an irrelevant fact" ridiculousness.

Finally - if you don't want my responses to your posts, then perhaps you should consider not engaging me in discussion.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

Sure I've made them. Then admitted I was wrong....and STILL pay for some of them.

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

Sure I've made them. Then admitted I was wrong....and STILL pay for some of them.

Glad to see you putting your man pants on again.

How about the Steve Nash thing? We wasn't SIGNED.......you know????

I honestly have no idea where you're coming from the past few days. "Man pants"? Really? It sounds as though you are regressing back to your old ways. I hope not.

When I mentioned Steve Nash I was speaking of him as a Kupchak acquisition - whether he was signed or traded was insignificant to my point. I misspoke. But I really don't care. You clearly do. Do you feel that makes your own point of view stronger?

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

Sure I've made them. Then admitted I was wrong....and STILL pay for some of them.

Glad to see you putting your man pants on again.

How about the Steve Nash thing? We wasn't SIGNED.......you know????

I honestly have no idea where you're coming from the past few days. "Man pants"? Really? It sounds as though you are regressing back to your old ways. I hope not.

When I mentioned Steve Nash I was speaking of him as a Kupchak acquisition - whether he was signed or traded was insignificant to my point. I misspoke. But I really don't care. You clearly do. Do you feel that makes your own point of view stronger?

No, and I'm not having a good week. I know what you meant. Just in a cantakerous mood.........my apologies, and trust we can start again!

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

Sure I've made them. Then admitted I was wrong....and STILL pay for some of them.

Glad to see you putting your man pants on again.

How about the Steve Nash thing? We wasn't SIGNED.......you know????

I honestly have no idea where you're coming from the past few days. "Man pants"? Really? It sounds as though you are regressing back to your old ways. I hope not.

When I mentioned Steve Nash I was speaking of him as a Kupchak acquisition - whether he was signed or traded was insignificant to my point. I misspoke. But I really don't care. You clearly do. Do you feel that makes your own point of view stronger?

No, and I'm not having a good week. I know what you meant. Just in a cantakerous mood.........my apologies, and trust we can start again!

I credit Kupchak with drafting Andrew Bynum (at the prodding of Jim), acquiring Pau Gasol for scrubs, trading Lamar Odom and Pau for Chris Paul and cap relief (the brilliant trade was a done deal, undone by shady intervention of Stern), signing Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard (still good moves IMO, undermined by Jim's poor choice of Mike D'Antoni), trading for Trevor Ariza (who fit perfectly on the Lakers roster), signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton (again, didn't lead to a title ultimately, but there's not a GM in the league that wouldn't have leapt at the chance to sign those two). Those are some moves that come to mind.

And he was trained under Jerry West, one of the greatest GMs of all time.

Glad you admit that Marc Gasol was a scrub AT THE TIME of the theft. Stern had every right to veto the trade, the team was owned by the league.............Steve Nash was traded for, not signed, and it wasn't a good move. Ariza left on his own, wasn't traded....how do you feel about the Artest, Jamison and Meeks signings?

Stern was commissioner of the league as well as owner of a specific team? Sounds like conflict of interest to me. Trust me, were the shoe on the other foot you would not be on board with Stern's actions. So in your opinion Nash is not an upgrade over Sessions/Fisher? Ariza was traded for, I was not speaking at all about how he left. While no fan of the Artest signing, I think most applauded the signings of Jamison and Meeks in the offseason. Again, with better coaching and use of their abilities I suspect those signings would be viewed differently.

Stern was not the owner, the LEAGUE owned the team. They didn't want the trade to happen, and he has to act in their best interests. You cannot get the best player in the deal AND save 40 mill in salary.......doesn't work that way. And while I would be irate if it happened to the Celtics, I would, in fact have to deal with it, and not use it as an EXCUSE for your teams' miserable play this year. I really thought better of you than that!!

Admit you didn't mention Ariza leaving, but Nash was still TRADED for, so we're 1-1! You did not mention him as an upgrade, and it doesn't matter anyway, you said SIGNED!

Were the shoe on the other foot...............you would be all over case about these mistakes!!

Raw nerve, Hedley? "1-1"? You are keeping score? And when exactly have I been "all over" you about mistakes in your posts? Excuses? When did I "use it as an excuse for [the Lakers'] miserable play this year"? Please do tell. Because it never happened.

As for Stern - it was a conflict of interest any way you cut it. It was a deal agreed upon by all four teams' representatives (Hornets, Rockets, Lakers), so there was no protecting the Hornets' best interests involved. To suggest as much is ludicrous.

Disagree all you want. But let's keep facts straight.

You were saying???????

Oh for crying out loud. Clearly a typo. Ever happened to you? Its clinging to minutia like this that weakens your otherwise strong arguments, Hed.

Sure I've made them. Then admitted I was wrong....and STILL pay for some of them.

Glad to see you putting your man pants on again.

How about the Steve Nash thing? We wasn't SIGNED.......you know????

I honestly have no idea where you're coming from the past few days. "Man pants"? Really? It sounds as though you are regressing back to your old ways. I hope not.

When I mentioned Steve Nash I was speaking of him as a Kupchak acquisition - whether he was signed or traded was insignificant to my point. I misspoke. But I really don't care. You clearly do. Do you feel that makes your own point of view stronger?

No, and I'm not having a good week. I know what you meant. Just in a cantakerous mood.........my apologies, and trust we can start again!